Former Governor of Edo State and current lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has underscored the need for the citizens to actively participate in politics.
According to him, playing politics is more than being a card-carrying member of any political party as the citizens must constantly engage those representing them in government.
According to him, elected politicians don’t know everything and need to be constantly engaged about happenings in their localities away from the glitz and glamour of Abuja and Lagos.
Speaking over the weekend in Lagos at an event organized by the Weppa Wanno Pyramid Club of Nigeria, Oshiomhole who was represented by Prof. Marcel Okhakhu of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Benin said politicians must not be left alone after winning elections and that is the essence of town hall meetings to attract developments to the people.
Speaking on the theme, “Politics as a veritable tool for community development”, Oshiomhole, said: “You must be active in politics. Politics is not for card-carrying members alone, everybody is a politician. And those you have sent by way of mandate must not be left alone, even after you have voted for them.
“You must call them to account, give them a shopping list of what is possible, you may not know what they know, that’s why you must have town hall meetings so as to brainstorm, share ideas, and prioritize the things that need to be done, no man is an island, nobody knows it all.
”They need ideas, support, information and they too should be willing to carry your message further so that the world can know that the world doesn’t stop in Lagos or Abuja.”
During the event, the club lamented the lack of development in Agenebode in Etsako East local government area of Edo State and urged the government to look into the situation. The members lamented the lack of basic infrastructure such as a linking bridge to Ida, Kogi state, tertiary institutions, and good road networks all of which have hindered development in that part of the state.
Reacting to the complaint, Oshiomhole emphasized that politics affect all sectors of life and the powerplay involved in community development is no exception which is why everyone must be involved.
He said: “Agenebode is almost like a back town because it’s the last of the towns in Edo State, particularly in Etako East. The next community to us is Ida which is in Kogi State and it’s the body of water, the river Niger that separates us from Kogi and that on its own has a specific disadvantage for the people.”
”Politics affects all facets of our lives, and all sectors of the economy are subjects of political power play and control, community development being no exception.”
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